Most Common Running Injuries: How to Diagnose, Prevent and Treat

Running is not an easy exercise; it puts a lot of pressure on your bones, joints and muscles. Ideally, every step of the way would be pain-free, but injuries are bound to happen. The good news is that they can be prevented – you have to eat, train and run “smart.”

Your smartest move will be to listen to your body, Jesse Thomas, pro-triathlete, an Ironman champion and a 5x Wildflower Champ, says.

You can’t stop runners from running. “But one of the biggest differences between elite athletes and recreational runners is body awareness,” he adds. You may be one run away from a serious injury.

As you get more experienced, you will undoubtedly get more sensible. The recovery process will change, as was the case for Meb Keflezighi, a long distance runner, the first American man to win the 2014 Boston Marathon, and winner of the 2009 New York City Marathon and the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials. “I am getting wiser, not faster. I take more recovery days now than I used too,” he adds.

There is no reason why professional or amateur runners should get into a cycle of running, getting injured and recovering. You just have to be aware of what you may be doing wrong.